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The Striga
The Striga (aka Orlando) was a male Blue Snowy Owl, or Nyctea scandiaca, and former Dragon Owl from the Panqua Palace. He fled from the Middle Kingdom into the Southern Kingdoms seeking a more meaningful life without the influence of "vanities." He was also known as Orlando by the owls of the Middle Kingdom. Physical Description The Striga's feathers were bright blue, and his eyes were pale yellow. Also, he was almost featherless and since he plucked them, naked.﻿ History Before the Books In his past life, the Striga had been a hagsfiend named Orlando along with all the other Dragon Owls of the mock court in the Middle Kingdom. Theo sought to give the hagsfiends the illusion of power, so he lured them to the Middle Kingdom and created the mock court in the Panqua Palace. In there, they were pampered and surrounded by vanities that would render them harmless. As a result, their feathers grew longer and they were w eighed down by their sheer excess of feathers, which turned them into Dragon Owls. Orlando, however, overcame the illusion of these vanities and plucked off his own feathers in an attempt to escape from his phonqua and redeem himself. He resided in the Southern Kingdoms for nearly a moon cycle gathering followers in his journey to rid the world of vanities. This group eventually came to be known as the Blue Brigade. ''The River of Wind The Striga first appeared when Bell, Soren's daughter, became lost and hurt. She was found by Orlando, now named the Striga, who nursed her back to health. He believed his chance at redemption would come by rescuing Bell and in doing so, avoid his own phonqua despite his actions in his past life. Later, both he and Bell were captured by the Pure Ones and taken to the Desert of Kuneer. He was then interrogated by Nyra, who wanted to know where the chaw of chaws had headed to. Through her own deductions and by drugging the Striga with a serum, Nyra ordered for a slink melf operation to be carried out that would ensure the assassination of the young king, Coryn and his uncle Soren. Later, the Striga and Bell were rescued by Cuffyn, a Elf Owl, who put the light guard left behind asleep with bingle juice. After returning Bell to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, he guided the forces of the Guardians back to the Middle Kingdom on the River of Wind. Despite his previously honourable actions, the Striga killed off the remainder of the slink melf, but was accused of acting out of pride and anger by the H'ryth. The H'ryth also proclaimed that his phonqua was not yet finished but he allowed the Striga to return with the Guardians to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. The Exile With the arrival of the Striga at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, the annual Harvest Festival was subdued to a great extent out of respect for the Striga's deference from vanities. The Striga started a Blue Feather Club at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree that was at first assumed to be just one of many passing fads. However, the Striga's malign influence began to take a more sinister turn when the metaphorical cleansing of vanities became a literal one where books and even owls were being burned because of their supposed vanity. It was also during this time that the Striga began to influence Coryn's decisions with the same tactics that he himself was subdued by in the mock court: flattery. Slowly, books from the library went missing which prompted Otulissa to remove some of the most important books and transport them to the Palace of Mists. The great harp also was mysteriously sabotaged several times. He often took what he called "contemplative journeys," but in reality he would help the Blue Brigade deal with offenders to their beliefs during their raids for fripperies. Eventually, he ordered the exile of the band while they were out on a weather interpreting mission to study windkins when they were seen talking to "scrooms" by Tarn, a Burrowing Owl in service to the Pure Ones. He was later exiled when the band came back. The War of the Ember'' The Striga then joined with Nyra and the Pure Ones to gain revenge on the Tree. They devised a plan to hatch hagsfiend eggs using the Dragon Owls who escaped from the Panqua Palace. This scheme was overheard by a puffin named Dumpy. The Striga had in his mind becoming mates with Nyra, which she had no intention for. During the War of the Ember, the Striga chopped Coryn's left wing off. In turn, Soren sliced off the Striga's head with Ezylryb's old battle claws. The Blue Snowy Owl now lays in hagsmire with Nyra. Category:Blue Owls Category:Snowy Owls Category:Deceased Category:Characters Category:Owls Category:Males Category:Antagonists Category:Reaccuring Characters Category:The River of Wind characters Category:Exile characters Category:The War of the Ember characters Category:The Pure Ones Category:Pure Ones Category:Hagsfiends